Canaport LNG Agrees to Settlement in 2013 Bird Incident

2015-11-05

Canaport™ LNG has reached a settlement with the Crown for an incident that occurred on Sept. 13-14, 2013, in which approximately 7,500 migratory birds died as a result of direct or indirect contact with burning natural gas from Canaport LNG’s flare stack.

As part of the settlement agreement, Canaport LNG will pay $750,000 in fines and penalties for a violation of the Migratory Birds Convention Act and the Species at Risk Act. This amount includes $600,000 in contributions to local non-profit organizations and educational institutions to improve understanding of migratory birds, their flight patterns and methods to better protect them.

“Canaport LNG sincerely regrets the harm caused in this incident,” Canaport LNG General Manager Pedro Boyra said. “This has been a difficult and regrettable matter and we accept full responsibility. Since the incident more than two years ago, we have taken significant actions to prevent such an incident from reoccurring. It is constructive to have resolution in a manner that improves understanding of migratory bird populations and promotes conservation efforts.”

On Sept. 29, 2013, Canaport LNG completed a two-year $45 million upgrade project that significantly reduced the need to flare. This equipment would have been in service prior to the incident, if not for a mechanical breakdown. As a direct result of lessons learned from this incident, Canaport LNG now actively monitors bird migration projections and plans maintenance activities during times that avoid peak migration and adverse weather conditions as much as possible. Canaport LNG also installed an audible system that deters birds during flaring.